Because It Came From You (Steven x May)
by Beck1121
Summary: May knew when she first met Steven that he was out of her league. But the more she encountered him on her journey, the more she became determined to do her best as a trainer, and maybe even face the Pokémon League. Would this become the biggest regret of her life?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

May winced as the sea spray and bitter costal wind whipped at her face as she sped across the water on the back of her Sharpedo. Surfing wasn't her preferred method of transport since she usually arrived at her destination soaking wet and chilled to the bone. It was her only option however, the secret base on route 127 that she now called home was located on a secluded patch of beach, which could only be navigated by surfing around the jagged rocks and cliff sides that surrounded it.

Not many people were aware of the small beach, May happened to stumble across it whilst searching for the entrance to Ever Grande City, and was difficult to find whilst flying.

Her Sharpedo elegantly glided between an opening in the cliff and soon her beach was in sight. Sighing in relief, May hopped off her Sharpedo onto the warm sand and thanking the creature she returned it to its pokéball. May turned and waved to the only other inhabitant on the isolated beach, her neighbour and friend, Koji.

Koji was as usual engrossed in his afternoon training with his Machoke and Hariyama, running up and down the small strip of sand.

'Are you planning on taking a break from training soon, Koji?' May asked. 'I just bought some fresh food from Mauville and I'm going to start cooking dinner soon.'

'Sounds good May' Koji replied, slowing to a stop on the sand. 'You pick up any of that ramen from the food court?'

'Of course!' she exclaimed 'I'd fear the wrath of your Pokémon if I'd have forgotten it. It didn't come easy though, I had to wait 45 minutes to get served and battled 3 trainers who were after my seat'.

'Appreciate it May. I'll start the fire while you go and get dried off' Koji said, walking towards their supply of dry firewood.

'Thanks Koji!' May shouted over her shoulder as she crawled into the entrance of the small cave that was built into the side of the cliff. Her base was sparsely decorated, but she had gradually tried to make it as homely as possible, spreading out a few rugs, and even adding a couple of posters and dolls that she had collected. The cave consisted of two levels, the elevated level was accessible with the wooden stairs that she had received in Fortree City, and served as a bedroom. The lower level contained her laptop, a small matching dining table and chairs shaped like a pokéball, and a training area for her Pokémon, with a punching bag and a few other pieces of equipment.

May set her bag down and climbed to the upper floor to change out of her wet clothes before heading back outside with the food to where Koji was waiting. Koji already had the small fire burning without needing any assistance from her Blaziken.

She had once asked him where he had learned his amazing survival skills, and he had only replied that he used to often go hiking and camping with his girlfriend. With that he had gotten a distant look in his eye, and his tone of voice had suggested that it was not a topic that he wished to talk about. May had held back from asking any more questions, but she was still curious about the solitary man who avoided the company of others and revolved his day around training on the beach with his Pokémon.

Once the food had been heated on the camp fire they both sat and ate in silence as they usually did. May watched the dancing flames and thought back to her first encounter with Koji.

She had been excited at first, to find the beach hidden between the cliffs, thinking she was the only one to know about the secret place. Her hopes were dashed when she heard fast footsteps and was equally startled as a man wearing a white karate gi and black belt had come speeding around the corner, almost knocking her down.

Koji had also looked shocker at seeing her there, but once the look of surprise had vanished from his face it was quickly replaced by irritation and anger. He had considered the beach to be his and obviously wasn't happy to find May invading his territory. He looked to be around the same age as her dad, perhaps in his forties with short dark hair and a stern expression. The outfit he wore told her that he must be a skilled fighter, both with and without Pokémon, and she was a little wary of him.

He had recognised her as a trainer and challenged her to a battle, in an obvious attempt to intimidate her into leaving. It didn't work however, as May had stood her ground and quickly defeated his two Pokémon.

Koji accepted her strength and paid her the prize money for winning the battle, before silently turning his back and continuing his training, whilst doing his best to ignore May.

She hadn't stayed long, just enough time to explore the beach and search the soft sand for hidden items before continuing on her journey.

It was a few months before she had returned to the beach to make her new secret base there. Koji hadn't been happy to see her take up permanent residence on the beach, but he hadn't said anything and just engrossed himself in his obsessive training.

Gradually, May spent more and more time at the beach until it got to the point where she would only leave around once a week to pick up supplies from one of the towns at the mainland. But the longer May had stayed at the beach the more Koji had warmed up to her. Especially when he realised that with her being there to get the supplies he would no longer have to venture from the beach.

Soon they had begun cooking together and eating around the campfire, though they had rarely talked more than a few words to each other.

'Why are you here, May?' Koji suddenly asked in a gruff voice, startling her from her thoughts. Her shocked eyes quickly lifted from the fire to briefly meet his before she looked back down. She wasn't sure what had prompted Koji to ask that question. All of the time she had spent here, he had never asked her about her past, and she had never offered up that information. Similarly, he had never told her his.

'What makes you ask that?' May answered with a question of her own.

'There's generally only a few things that could lead a person to live the life of a recluse like this,' he said, 'It's the same things that drove me here. Heartbreak, regret, guilt, loss.'

He had hit the nail on the head and she knew it had shown on her face. 'What I don't understand,' he continued, 'Is why someone as young as you should be experiencing those things and letting it consume you. You still have your whole life ahead of you, and plenty of time to move on to better things.' He stared stared at her intensively, his concern clearly showing. 'Trust me, May, life is far too long to live in isolation like this.'

May had never heard Koji talk as deeply as this, and it surprised her. Not knowing how to reply her eyes drifted to the tops of the cliffs where the sun was setting, and a deep orange illuminated the sky and reflected of the sand and the water around them. Koji's words had stirred up some memories that she had wished to forget. Her emotions burning in her chest where she had locked them away.

As May's eyes burned and threatened to spill tears, she for once just wanted to let her emotions out. To tell the story that still tormented her, and talk about the pain that had driven her to solitude. Koji had said it was the same pain that had caused him to come here. It would be easy to spill her story to him, he would understand her better than anyone. Better than her parent, even better than her best friend Brendan. But she didn't know where to begin.

'It's a long story.' She finally told Koji.

'I have time. It's still early and I'm too full from the ramen to pick up training again now.'

Koji Must have read in May's expression her need to talk, and so she began…


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1 - Littleroot**

 _18 months earlier_

May sighed as she was thrown into one of the many boxes that were beside her in the back of the removals van. She pulled out her AreaNav and saw that they were finally close to reaching their destination. It had been a long journey, especially since she was cramped between various boxes and furniture, her only source of comfort was her giant Lapras doll, whose back she was sat on.

May wished that there had at least been some windows for her to look out of. The passing mountains, towns, rivers, and fields would have offered some distraction from the mixture of unease and anticipation that she had been feeling. A part of her was looking forward to getting out and stretching her legs, to take in the sight of their new home and the small town that would be so different from the city which she was raised in. However, the other part of her wanted noting more to extend the journey, to stay in the back of the van, protected from the unknown world that she would be thrown into once the engine stopped and the doors facing her opened. If only there were windows, maybe my heart wouldn't be pounding like this, May thought to herself. What if she didn't belong here? What if everyone ended up hating her?

As the panic rose in her, May began to regret not putting her foot down about the whole move. She had been agains the idea of moving to a new region right from the start. Her parents had sat her down one day and told her that her dad was finally getting his dream job as a gym leader. May had been happy for him, until she had discovered that the gym leader position would be in the town of Petalburg in the Hoenn region. She had protested at first, not wanting to leave her hometown of Olivine City. But her mother, Caroline, had been understanding, and to comfort her she had agreed that once they moved to Littleroot, she would finally allow May to keep her first Pokémon and start her journey as a trainer.

Most trainers started out their journey and left home at the much younger age of 10. Some even started raising their first Pokémon at the age of 5, with the guidance of their parents who were trainers. But despite her father being a great trainer, her overprotective mother had not yet let her only daughter set out and see the world like her friends had. She had somewhat resented her parents for that. At the age of 16 she had never owned a Pokémon, and throughout her teenage years had sat alone while she watched the other kids her age showing off their Pokémon to each other, and challenging them to battles. But now she was finally getting the chance to experience that herself, and it was the knowledge of that which had allowed May to set aside her doubts and move to the Hoenn region.

The van suddenly rumbled to a stop and the fluttering in May's stomach rapidly worsened as the Pokémon who worked for the removals service opened the double doors to the back of the van.

Blinking agains the sudden blinding light, May stretched the stiffened joints in her legs and tentatively stepped out of the van. The sight around her left her breathless. It was the bright colours that May noticed first, the trees surrounding the tiny town were a vibrant green, as was the lush, springy grass under her feet. May's anxiety evaporated as the lifted her head to look at the clear blue sky and fluffy cotton clouds that drifted lazily across the horizon. She smiled as the warm sun bounced off her face and she inhaled the sweet fresh air that was so different from the salty costal breeze that she was used to back in Olivine.

May heard a door open and close somewhere behind her and she turned to see her mother hurry towards her with an excited smile. 'May! You're here at last!' Caroline said happily. May noticed how her mother blended in so comfortably with their new surroundings, like she had lived there her whole life. May suddenly found herself feeling guilty for being selfish and protesting about the move; it was obvious that even if she didn't belong here, her mother did. 'Wasn't it tough riding in the back of the bumpy moving truck all that way?' Her mother asked as she reached out and hugged May close.

'It wasn't the most comfortable ride, but at least it's over now' she replied, hugging her mom back and inhaling her familiar scent.

'Well' her mom said letting go 'this is Littleroot Town. What do you think? This is going to be out new home! It has a quaint feel, but it looks like it should be a nice place to live, don't you think?'

Her mom's enthusiastic rambling made her smile. 'It looks so small compared to Olivine, all the houses look pretty and everything is brighter.'

'The fresh air will certainly be better for you, especially since you'll be running around travelling soon.' May heard her mothers voice waver a little as she spoke the words, but the cheerful smile remained on her face.

'I'll still miss the sea breeze and the sound of the water down by the harbour though, but a positive is that the new house looks a lot cosier than our old damp apartment in the city' May said with a smile to reassure her Mom.

'And you get your own room this time, May!' Well that definitely was a bonus!

'Come on. You have to see the inside!' Her mom ushered her towards the house and through the wooden front door. May peered around the spacious living room that was neatly decorated with the basic furnishings, and looked across to the open kitchen where the two Machokes from the removal company were unpacking the last box and putting away the items in their rightful places. During the reunion with her mom, May had barely noticed that the Pokémon had emptied the truck and had already unpacked their furniture.

'See, May? Isn't it nice in here, too?. May nodded silently, still looking around the room in awe. 'The moving company's Pokémon even help with the unpacking and cleanup. They really make moving a cinch!'

May smiled to herself, her mom was slowly opening up and trusting Pokémon more than she used to. She hoped that her mother would worry a little less about her setting out on her journey knowing that she would be protected by her Pokémon.

The Machokes walked over and let out a cry to let her mom know that they had finished with the unpacking, she thanked them and they let out another sound in response before leaving. Her mom turned back to her 'you should go and see your new room upstairs, May! Dad even bought a new click for it to celebrate the big move. You'll need to set the time though!'

Nodding, May walked towards the wooden stairs, she was pleasantly surprised by the gift from her dad. He had always been busy as she was growing up and rarely gave her gifts, but when he did she always treasured them!

Reaching her new bedroom, May looked around excitedly. It was exactly how she had imagined her own room to be. The bed was by the window with a pretty pink comforter, a matching pink rug sat on the opposite side of the room with her Lapras doll and cushions. She was shocked to see that she even had her own TV with a Wii U console connected to it. The top corner of the room housed her desk, which was filled with her few belongings. On the wall next to the desk hung her new pink clock, and beside that was her map of the Hoenn region that she had purchased before the move.

She had just finished setting the time on the clock when her mom hurried up the stairs, still beaming with excitement. 'How do you like your new room, May?'

'It's great!' May replied 'I can't believe I have all this space to myself!'

'Good!' Caroline chuckled 'Everything's already put away neatly! And they finished moving everything downstairs, too. We can finally relax and settle in our home. It really is so nice having Pokémon around to help us!' Her mothers words stirred up something that had been bothering May since they started moving, and she felt that maybe it was time to ask her mom about it.

'Mom?' She asked, not really sure how to approach the subject.

'What is it, Sweetie?' A slight concerned frown appeared on her face.

'I was just wondering, if you think Pokémon are so wonderful then why have you been so reluctant to let me head out and train with them like the other kids?' May had already asked growing up why she couldn't have any Pokémon, but it was usually in the heat of a tantrum and her mother had never given her an answer.

Caroline sighed and walked over to May's bed, sitting down on the neat comforter she patted the spot beside of her. 'Come have a seat!' May sat and her mom continued; 'It wasn't that I didn't trust you to become a great trainer, or didn't trust that the Pokémon could protect you. It was the opposite, and your father felt it too!' May listened intently, happy that she was finally getting answers. 'Every parent feels like their kid is special, but we knew it was more than that with you. Your father has the ability to see the potential in people to become great trainers, and he saw it in you!'

'So why did you stop me?!' May exclaimed, unable to keep quiet. Her mother looked at her kindly and gave her a small smile.

'Because we knew if you set out the same age as the other children you would quickly grow strong, surpass your peers, possibly even become the best' Caroline frowned with a distant look in her eyes. 'But I know what success can do to a child at such a young age. You remember that happened to the boy who became champion of Kanto all those years ago? Red was his name' May nodded. 'He was just 10 years old when he became champion, 6 years younger than you!'

Caroline shook her head sadly. 'I met his mother on one occasion back in Johto, she told me how the fame had changed her son. He became withdrawn, eventually giving up his title and disappearing from society. It was believed that he ended up living as a recluse in some mountain. His poor mother was distraught.' Caroline looked at May with tears in her eyes. May looked back at her mom sadly. 'So now you see? You're my baby girl and I couldn't let that happen to you, I couldn't lose you!'

May threw her arms around her mom and hugged her tight. 'Don't worry mom, I would never just disappear on you and dad like that! You know how much you and dad mean to me!'

'I know sweetie, but at such a young age you knew know what might happen!' They pulled apart and Caroline tucked May's bangs away from her face 'but your 16 now, and I know that you are old enough and smart enough to take what life throws at you! Which is why I'm ready to finally let you go and see the world'.

'I'll always come back to you and dad though, mom' May replied, smiling through tears that had started to well up in her eyes. 'You don't need to worry about me, I probably won't even be as good a trainer as you and dad think.'

'We'll see' her mom said standing up and straightening her skirt 'come downstairs when you're ready, I'll switch the TV on and we can see if the reception here is any different than in Johto!' Her mother walked back down the stairs, leaving May feeling a little dazed after their conversation.

May joined her mother downstairs to find her jumping excitedly at the TV set. 'Oh! May! May! Quick! Come quickly!' May hurried towards the TV where her mom stood. 'It's the Petalburg Gym! Maybe Dad will be on TV!'

May looked towards the screen but it appeared that the presenter was closing the show. The credits appeared as the show that was up next was introduced. Her mom looked deflated. 'Oh…It's already ended. Looks like your dad was on, but we missed his part. What a shame.'

The sad look in her Mom's eyes tugged at her heartstrings. 'It's okay Mom! You'll get to see dad soon!'

May knew her attempts at cheering her mom up were feeble, it wasn't fair that her mom had to wait until Dad was on TV to see his face. It might have been easier for them to be together if they had moved to Petalburg where her dad's gym was, but the only house that had been vacant was the one at Littleroot, two towns over.

Even before the move, her dad had always been too busy working to spend time with them. Her dad had worked as a trainer, permanently stationed inside the gym, ready to take on any trainers that wished to challenged his leader. This had meant most of his time had been spent at the gym rather than at home, and becoming the leader of Petalburg Gym obviously wasn't going to change the situation. But Caroline had never complained, she had always waited patiently at home for her husband to come home. Although on a few occasions growing up, May was sure she had seen a few tears in her mothers eyes, but she quickly used to wipe them away before she thought May could see. Thinking about this made May feel even more guilty that she too would soon be leaving her mom behind.

'You're right!' Her mother said, her cheerful smile back. 'But that reminds me… One of Dad's friends lives in this town. Professor Birch is his name. He lives right next door, so you should go over and introduce yourself.'

Despite May's sudden resistance, her mother practically pushed her out of the front door, and into the warm afternoon breeze.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 – Brendan

As the door closed behind her, May took the opportunity to take a closer look at the town. Her eyes had been more focuses on the vibrant colours and the nature surrounding her, but now she focuses her attention on the very few buildings in the town. She walked towards the largest building, which was situated just south from her house. She read the sign that was next to the green, official looking doors, it read 'Pokémon Lab'. This must be where Professor Birch works, May thought to herself. She considered opening the door and taking a look inside, but dismissed the idea. It might be considered rude to intrude on someone's workplace without properly introducing themselves first.

May slowly and nervously walked back in the direction of her house but veered slightly to the left, towards the house that belonged to Professor Birch, her new neighbour. Though she had never met the Professor, her dad talked about him often on the few occasions he came home. They had met back when her dad was a fairly new trainer; Professor Birch had started studying the Johto Pokémon for his thesis, when he was chased by an angry horde of Mareep whilst out in the field. Luckily her father had been there to help the young researcher, and the two became fast friends.

Reaching her neighbours house, May hesitantly knocked on the door that was identical to the one on her own house.

The door opened, but instead of the Professor, May was greeted by a cheerful looking woman with curly brown hair, wearing a sundress. The woman was close to her mother's age and May assumed her to be Professor Birch's wife.

'Oh, hello. And you are?' The woman enquired with a friendly smile.

'Hi, my name is May. I just moved here with my family and came to introduce myself!' May could feel her cheeks start to flush. Now that she was here she suddenly felt awkward. Why hadn't her mom or dad mentioned that the Professor had a wife?

Realisation dawned on the woman's face. 'Oh, you're May, our new next-door neighbour! Welcome! Please come inside and make yourself at home. My name is Heather Birch, professor Birch's wife.

'Thank you.' May followed Heather into the house and noted that the structure and layout was almost identical except to her own.

'My husband is out doing his research at the moment I'm afraid, but I'm sure you'll get to meet his soon. We also have a son about the same age as you. He has been so excited about making a new friend. He should be in his room upstairs. I hope you'll go and introduce yourself!'

Heather seemed almost as persuasive as her own mother and May found her self agreeing. As she headed towards the stairs she felt the familiar panic rise as her old fears surfaced. She wasn't expecting to meet anyone her own age yet, especially a boy! What if he thought she was a freak for not having any Pokémon, like the kids back in Olivine had?

May tried to control her breathing and calm her racing heart as she walked the stairs. Upon reaching the top she found herself looking at a boy who appeared to be around 17 and just a few inches taller than her. His brown hair was covered with a white beanie hat, and she couldn't fully see his face as he was angled away from her. Even from behind, she could tell he was a trainer by the Poké Balls that hung from his belt and the backpack that he had just finished stuffing potions into, which he now swung over his shoulder.

The boy busied himself about his desk, unaware of her presence behind him. He began muttering to himself and she became unsure of how to get his attention without frightening the living daylight out of him.

'Pokémon fully restored… Items all packed, and…' The boy's words were cut off as he turned and finally noticed that she was standing behind him. May felt her blood rush to her cheeks, she should have cleared her throat or something when she first entered his room. What was she thinking just lurking behind him in his own room? Forget looking like a freak, this poor kid probably thinks he's dealing with a psychotic stalker!

'Y-you… Who are you?' The boy stammered still clearly shocked. May struggled to get her words out.

'I'm really sorry to scare you like that! My name is May, we just moved here and your mom sent me up here to introduce myself.' May spoke quickly and just hoped that he understood any of it.

The confused expression on the boy's face vanished quickly and he looked almost relieved. 'Oh, you're the new kid who just moved in next door?! Huh…' He looked May up and down, scrutinising her. She shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, he almost seemed disappointed in what he saw, and May knew she had probably blown her chances at making her only friend. 'I didn't know that you'd be a girl.' He admitted. 'Dad – I mean, Professor Birch – told me you were the kid of a Gym Leader, and I sort of hoped you would be a guy.'

May suddenly felt a rush of anger, she knew she wasn't perfect or a skilled Pokémon trainer, but it didn't mean he could act so outright rude towards her. Stifling her anger, she retorted 'I'm sorry to disappoint you. Like I said, I only came to introduce myself, and you look like you're busy with something so I'll be letting myself out.'

May spun around and made back towards the stairs when a hand grabbed her wrist stopping her. 'Wait! I'm sorry if I offended you, I guess I was just a bit surprised. My name if Brendan. Well, I guess we are still neighbours so… Let's be friends, okay?

'Sure, I'd like that' she nodded as her anger vanished. This guy Brendan seemed a bit cocky and arrogant, but she was lacking in the friends department, and there was a chance he could give her some advice how to become a trainer. As if he was reading her mind Brendan's eyes drifted towards her belt, which was empty with a lack of Poké Balls that most people carried.

'Huh? Hey, May… Don't you have any Pokémon?' He asked.

'Uh, no. My parents held me back from becoming a trainer, but I'm hoping to become one soon.' She admitted.

Brendan seemed to accept that, to her surprise. 'I don't really have that much experience as a trainer myself to be honest.' He said sadly. 'I have spent most of my life helping my dad with his research. I know how to train Pokémon and catch them and stuff… I just never really had the chance to go out and travel with them. My dad just gave me the new updated PokéNav Plus though, with a Pokédex installed in it. He wants me to travel around the Hoenn region to collect the data of loads of different Pokémon!' Brendan rambled on excitedly.

If you want I could go catch you a Pokémon, May? We could start our adventures together.' May was thrilled at his words. She wanted nothing more than to get her first Pokémon. Her hopes were soon dashed, however. 'Aw, wait, I forgot… I'm supposed to be going out to help my dad catch some wild Pokémon.' Brendan passed her and headed towards the stairs, but before continuing down them he turned back towards her, 'Some other time, okay?' he promised before rushing down.

May returned down the stairs just as Brendan hurried out the door slamming it behind him. She said goodbye to Heather who was in the kitchen, thanking her for her hospitality before letting herself out.

Deciding it was too nice a day to be cramped in her room, May proceeded to explore the town. She hadn't walked far before she heard a commotion coming from the direction of the only path leading out of town, that was known as route 101. She ran towards the sounds of the shouting and stopped at the edge of the town where a small boy stood, looking for the source of the shouting.

Becoming aware of her presence the boy looked at her. 'I think I hear someone screaming up ahead! What should I do? What should we do? Somebody has to go help…'

'Hush!' She said to the boy 'there's no reason to panic, I'll go help. Stay here!' Despite her words, May's heart began to race. But someone was in danger and she had to help them.

'H-help me!' A voice shouted from up ahead.

Pushing her fear aside she ran along the path to find a large man wearing a lab coat being chased in the long grass by a snarling, grey Pokémon. The man saw her approach and stopped running, but jumped backwards every time the Pokémon lunged. He shouted towards her.

'Halloo! You over there! Please! Help me out! In my Bag! There are some Poké Balls!'

Bag? May was puzzled, until she noticed the brown satchel that was strewn on the grass by her feet. The man must have dropped it when he was attacked. Crouching down May stuck her hand inside the back and gripped onto the first Poké Ball that her fingers touched. Standing, she turned and faced the Pokémon that was still snapping at the man.

May had never battled with a Pokémon, but growing up she had watched her dad battle countless times. Recalling his movements when he brought out his Pokémon May attempted to copy them. Bringing the arm holding the Poké Ball back over her shoulder, she swung it forward fast, pressing the button on the Ball as it was released from her hand.

Springing open, the Poké Ball flashed with a bright light as it landed a few feet away from the grey Pokémon that was attacking the man. The light subsided and revealed a small, cute orange and yellow chick Pokémon, that looked like it could be a hatchling.

Ruffling it's feathers, the little Pokémon turned and growled at her; awaiting her instructions. May didn't know what the Pokémon could do, or what would be affective against the attacking Pokémon. The wild Pokémon had abandoned its attacks on the white coated man and was focusing on the orange bird Pokémon.

May had to think quickly, the Pokémon had growled at her, if it could do that again maybe it would scare the attacking Pokémon away.

'Growl!' She shouted towards the Pokémon in a commanding voice, similar to the tone that she heard he father use when battling. The Pokémon obeyed, trusting her battle skills more than she herself did. The little bird made a loud squawking noise at the wild Pokémon; it didn't have the desired effect though. The wild Pokémon looked wary and slightly subdued, but it stood its ground, hackles raised. It let out another angry cry as it lunged at her Pokémon, going in for a tackle.

May held her breath, fearing for the little chick Pokémon. Fortunately the wild Pokémon's attack was weak, and her Pokémon had survived the tackle almost unscathed. She noticed that her Pokémon had talons at the end of its small feet; it must at least be able to scratch it's opponent.

'Scratch!' May commanded. To her relief the Pokémon understood and with a flapping movement, her Pokémon leapt into the air and dove down on the wild Pokémon, hacking it with its talons. Once it had finished its attack, the little Pokémon turned on its heel and scurried back to her quickly, in a way that made her laugh at its cuteness.

The wild Pokémon looked a little worse for wear but stayed on its feet. May continued with the scratching method, and after a few turns the wild Pokémon let out a cry and sunk to the ground in a daze. She sighed in relief, ecstatic that she had managed to win her first Pokémon fight.

The chick Pokémon ran to her feet and started hopping up and down wildly, clearly happy that it was the victor in the battle. She kneeled down and patted the Pokémon on the head, it closed its eyes and started wiggling its small tail feathers, enjoying the touch.

Still petting the Pokémon, May hadn't noticed the large man walking towards her, in fact during the heat of the battle she had totally forgotten about him. He picked up the bag that he dropped earlier and slung it over one shoulder, then he turned and collected the discarded Poké Ball that housed the Pokémon at her feet.

'Whew…' He sighed, catching his breath as he turned towards her. 'I went into the tall grass to survey wild Pokémon when I was suddenly jumped! You saved my hide. Thanks a lot!' He held out the Poké Ball towards the chick Pokémon, and with another flash it returned to the ball.

'It's no problem sir, I'm glad I could help. Excuse me for asking, but are you Professor Birch?'

'Indeed I am young lady!' The Professor said with a beaming smile. 'Oh? But you're Norman's girl, May, right?' She nodded 'I didn't even realise who you were at first. You've grown into quite the young lady. This isn't the place for a chat, though. Come along to my lab.'

With that Professor Birch gestured for her to follow him as he started walking back towards the town. May followed a few steps behind and the Professor occasionally turned to make small talk. He asked about her dad, and whether he liked his new job as gym leader, and then asked if they were settling in. May told him that they were already settled and that she had made friends with his son, Brendan. The Professor had seemed pleased with that news.

They reached the Pokémon lab that May had been standing outside of not too long ago. The Professor opened the door and gestured for her to go inside. Walking through the door, May looked around in awe at the cleanliness of the lab, and the intricate machines of what she couldn't begin to comprehend their purpose.

Leading her to the workstation at the top end of the lab, Professor Birch turned to her, ready to resume the conversation that they had started on route 101.

'So, May! I've heard so much about you from your father. But he said you don't have your Pokémon yet. If that's true, that was quite the performance back there! Looks like you really are your father's daughter!'

'Yes, I have never owned a Pokémon. But I was hoping that now I have moved here, I would start my journey as a trainer. Hoenn looks so beautiful, I want to explore every part of it.' May was still surprised by the professors praise, she had blundered her way through her first Pokémon battle by sheer trial and error. If anything she thought the battle was a disaster, but the Professors encouragement had given her the hope and confidence she needed to become a trainer.

'Oh, yes!' Professor Birch continued, 'To say thanks for rescuing me out there, how about I give you that Pokémon you used earlier?' May's heart raced at those words, could she really keep that little orange bird Pokémon.

'Oh, no Professor Birch, I couldn't possibly take your Pokémon. It's too much, and you really don't need to thank me anyway!'

'Nonsense, May! All Pokémon deserve good trainers, and I can see this one has already become very attached to you. I doubt it will be as loyal to anyone else now.' Professor Birch reached into his bag and drew out the Poké Ball she had picked earlier. 'This Pokémon is called a Torchic. I managed to hatch three rare Pokémon in my lab, this is one of them, another I have to my son, Brendan.'

May took the Poké Ball from the Professor. Torchic, she thought. It seemed like a fitting name for such a cute Pokémon.

'You know, if you work with your Pokémon, and gain experience, I think you'll make a pretty excellent trainer, May. My boy, Brendan happens to be out on route 103 right now, surveying Pokémon for me. He should be studying there for a few days. It might not be a bad idea for you to head out that way yourself. What do you think?'

'That sounds great! I can't wait to start my journey as a trainer'

'Great! I'm sure Brendan will be happy to hear that too. He can help teach you what it means to be a trainer.

'Thank you Professor Birch! For the Pokémon and for the advice. I really appreciate it!' May could hardly contain the excitement in her voice. She turned to leave, eager to get started.

'Oh! Wait, May!' She turned back to the Professor 'If you're ever lost along the way, just use the AreaNav on your PokéNav Plus! You can use it to see how you get to Route 103, where Brendan should be. And if your Pokémon get tired, get some rest back at your new house.

May thanked the Professor once more and exited the lab. Standing outside she looked at the sky in dismay, it was turning a deep orange. She had planned to set out right away and show Brendan her new Pokémon, but now she noticed it was starting to get dark. She realised how tired she felt, after all it had been a really long day! She had moved house, met Brendan, had her first Pokémon battle, and received her first Pokémon. Plus her mother would start to worry if she stayed out much later.

Yawning, May trudged back to her house. She wondered how her mom would react when she saw May's new Pokemon; or when May told her she would be leaving to start her training sooner than any of them had planned.

 **A/N**

 **Hi guys, sorry if the story seems to be developing too slowly. Now that most of the introductions have been written, the storyline should be progressing at a much quicker pace. Hopefully a certain silver haired champion will be making his debut soon, too! ;)**

 **Thanks for reading, and please feel free to leave a comment letting me know what you think! :)**

 **I hope you enjoy the story.**

 **~Beck**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 – Training Begins

May awoke the next morning feeling bright eyed and bushy tailed. Despite it being her first night in a new house, she had slept better than she had in a long time. She rubbed her eyes and looked across the room where her new Torchic was sleeping snugly in a pile of cushions next to her Lapras doll. Having hated the idea of keeping the cute Pokémon contained in its Poké Ball for long periods of time, she had let it out at home so that it could explore. Plus it gave her more opportunity to bond with her first Pokémon.

Rising out of bed, May threw on her training clothes and opened her bedroom curtains. The sky was a beautiful clear blue, the perfect weather for training.

Hearing a chirping cry behind her, May turned to see that the sunlight had woken up her Torchic, who was now waddling towards her. Stopping short at her feet, the Pokémon began nuzzling it's head on her legs. Smiling, may picked up the Torchic and held it close.

'You're so warm!' She told the Pokémon, it felt like she was holding a hot water bottle rather than a Pokémon. 'Have you got a fire burning in that little belly of yours, or something?' The bird chirped again at her.

May carried the Pokémon downstairs with her, where her mother was already up and making breakfast. She sat at the table and set the Torchic down on the floor as her mom placed a steaming stack of pancakes in front of her, with a smile she bent down and petted the little Pokémon on the head.

Her mother had been overjoyed to hear that Professor Birch had given her a Pokémon, and had cooed over the Torchic like a mother over a baby. She had been even happier still when May had told her about making friends with Brendan Birch, glad that her little girl was settling in so quickly.

Although her Mom's smile had faltered a little when she discovered that May would be making a start on her training, and heading of to route 103 the following day; she was still eager to support her daughter, and put on a brave face.

May had assured her mom that until she became a skilled trainer, she wouldn't adventure too far from home. She only planned to go as far as Petalburg Forest, visiting her dad along the way. Plus she would still come back home to rest frequently.

Finishing up her pancakes, May rushed quickly out of the house with her Torchic, only stopping to give her mom a quick kiss on the cheek. She had decided that before she caught up with Brendan on route 103, she should at least put in some practice when it came to battling with Pokémon. After all, there was no point in showing off your new Pokemon if you didn't have a clue what to do with it!

So for half a day, May spent her time searching the long grass on route 101; waiting for the wild Pokémon to attack and sending her Torchic out to battle. Since she had always lived in Johto, the Pokémon that she came across so far in the Hoenn region were all strange to her.

She encountered more of the grey, hyena type Pokémon, like the one that attacked Professor birch. She saw a four legged Pokémon with spiky fur, coloured brown and cream in a strange zig-zagging pattern. Then she had almost screamed when a multi-legged red bug Pokémon had fallen out of a tree.

Her Torchic had managed to defeat all of the Pokémon, using just the scratching method. But it was difficult, and she had gone running home to her mom on more than one occasion when her Pokémon needed healing.

Resting under a tree around mid morning, may had sat with her back to the trunk watching as her Torchic scratched around in the dirt. Distracted by its playing, the Torchic became startled by a leaf that had drifted down from the tree and landed on its head. In its fright, her Torchic shook off the leaf, opened its beak and spat out a small burning ember that incinerated the leaf within seconds.

May was amazed, realising what her little Pokémon was capable of. She had commanded the Torchic to repeat the move when battling wild Pokémon, and had found that it was more than twice as effective as the scratching method. Soon her Pokémon had grown much stronger, it's moves becoming more powerful; and the wild Pokémon she battled on route 101 were fainting after just one hit.

May decided it was time to move on, and by mid afternoon she made her way to the end of route 101 and reached Oldale Town. The town was small, but with a Pokémon centre and a Poké Mart it looked much bigger than Littleroot.

Her intentions had been to pass straight through the town, and reach Brendan on route 103 before sunset. But she had been distracted by the appearance of the Poké Mart, and wanted to take a closer look at what the store had to offer. Perhaps she would even spend her small amount of savings on supplies for her journey.

Before long, May left the Poké Mart, her bag stocked up with potions and a blush on her face that refused to subside. One of the Poké Mart attendants had recognised her as a new trainer and given her a promotional offer of free potions. She had been happy, until she had finally become aware of his attempts to flirt with her. He kept on insisting that he was a nice guy, and that they should get to know each other.

He did look like a nice guy, fairly cute too, in a boy next door kind of way. With shaggy brown hair and puppy eyes, he was nothing like Brendan, who actually was the boy next door. But she was inexperienced when it came to boys, especially in situations when they flirted with her. She had become shy and embarrassed, and thanking him for the potions, she stammered an excuse and ran through the door.

Now still trying to shake off her red face, she was racing through the long grass on route 103, trying to locate Brendan. Peering up ahead, she saw a boy with a head covered in a white hat. Sighing in relief, she dashed towards the figure.

Getting closer, she noticed that Brendan was standing facing a small pool that was surrounded by foliage, and in the distance she saw rolling fields and rugged mountains. Pretty.

He seemed engrossed in his research, and not wanting to scare him again she called out to him before she approached.

'Huh?' Brendan said, turning around. 'Hey, May!'She was glad that he looked happy to see her here.

'Sorry I interrupted your research. You're dad gave me a Pokémon yesterday for helping him out. He said I should come and find you here, and that you'd give me some tips on becoming a trainer.'

'Ohh. So you finally got a Pokémon from my dad? That's great May! He gave me a new one too before I left. Then how about a little battle? Since we're here and all! I'm gonna teach you what being a Trainer's all about!'

May felt her pulse quicken. She wasn't ready to face a trainer who had been working with Pokémon his whole life. How could she possibly win? But she had learnt from her dad that there was an unspoken rule as a Pokémon trainer, that if someone initiated a battle, the opponent must accept. To refuse was considered shameful. Brendan had a fierce, determined look in his eye as he challenged her. She had no choice but to accept.

Agreeing to the battle, May took her stance and sent out her Torchic.

'Go! Mudkip!' Brendan yelled, sending out a small, blue, amphibian-looking Pokémon.

The battle begun, and May soon realised that her Torchic's ember wasn't very effective against Brendan's Mudkip. However, she noticed that even though Brendan was more of a skilled trainer, he still hadn't gotten used to his new Pokémon. He was unsure of what moves to use, and the Mudkip had trouble following his orders. On the other hand, May had bonded with her Torchic whilst battling wild Pokémon, and now they were in perfect sync. Another advantage was that after their training, her Pokémon was clearly stronger, despite it's moves being less effective against Brendan's Pokémon.

In the end, May's Torchic delivered a final scratch to the Mudkip, and the blue Pokémon slumped to the floor, before returning to its Poké Ball. May was ecstatic that she had actually won the battle.

Brendan looked equally surprised, but rather than resenting her, he looked impressed.

'Huh. You're not to shabby, May. It was a good battle. Thanks!'

'I honestly didn't expect to win, I'm sorry I hurt you're Pokémon, Brendan.'

Brendan just laughed at her apology.

'Don't apologise, dummy! That's the whole point of a Pokémon battle, you have to make the opposing team faint.' He shook his head and pointed to the Poké Ball in her hand. 'Here! Lemme heal up both our Pokémon real quick'.

'Thanks!' She said, handing him the Poké Ball. 'I'm still really new at this, I think it was only a fluke that I won!'

Brendan looked up from the Poké Balls.

'Don't be silly! I think I know why may dad had his eye on you now. Look, you just got your Pokémon, right?' She nodded, looking towards the ground shyly. 'And you already have that strong of a bond? I get the feeling that you could befriend any Pokémon, May, no doubt.'

May blushed at Brendan's praise. Feeling her confidence boost for the first time. Looking up at him she smiled.

'Thanks, Brendan. I'm glad I have you as a friend to help me out'

'No problem! I'm glad to have you as a friend too, even though it meant getting my butt kicked by a girl!' He laughed, beaming a smile back at her and scratching the back of his neck.

Noticing the setting sun, Brendan gestured in the direction that led back to Oldale Town.

'Well, I've got some data here, so I guess it's time I got back to the lab. You should head back, too, May!'

Brendan started walking back along route 103, and after a moment May began trailing behind him.

It wasn't long before May lost sight of Brendan, but reaching Oldale town she found him waiting for her just outside route 101, making sure she didn't get lost. She found herself wondering if it was always going to be like this. Always trailing steps behind Brendan, like a lost child, whilst he steamed ahead on his journey.

Eventually they both made it back to Littleroot Town, and Brendan persuaded her to come back to the lab with him, and tell his dad all about their first battle. She told him to carry on without her, while she returned home to let her mom know she was back. She would catch up with him at the lab once she was done.

Her mom was excited to hear about how her Torchic had gotten stronger, and was proud when May told her about winning her battle with Brendan. Finishing up a glass of water from the kitchen, May told her mom she would be back soon and walked out into the cool evening air.

May returned to the lab to find that Brendan had already told Professor Birch all about their battle. She flushed when he praised her, commenting on how she was set to be a great trainer. Damn her blood-ridden face! Why couldn't she take a compliment without her face looking like it turned into a tamato berry. She could only blame her parents for her social awkwardness.

Luckily Professor Birch hadn't noticed, he was too busy shuffling around on the desk at the back of the room. He appeared to be searching for something.

'Ah! Here it is!' The professor exclaimed, walking back towards them carrying a red and white gadget. Brendan appeared to recognise it at once, but May frowned, wondering what it did.

'I ordered this Pokédex for my own research, but I think it will be of better use to you, May.' Professor Birch handed her the Pokédex and continued. 'Since your from Johto, I can't imagine you recognise many of the Pokémon that we have here, right?'

'No, not really.' Actually she hadn't recognised any of them, she only found out any of the names when someone told her. Professor Birch Nodded.

'It's ok, there's still many Pokémon out there that we haven't encountered ourselves. This is why both Brendan and I are conducting our research. That Pokédex that you have automatically makes a record of any Pokémon you meet or catch. My boy, Brendan, takes his with him everywhere he goes.'

Brendan nodded.

'Yep, then I come back and show my dad all of the data I have gathered so far.

'Are you really sure it's okay for me to have this?' May asked, looking down at the device. It would make her journey much easier.

'Of course!' The professor continued. 'Though I'd love it even more if you came back from time to time to show me what progress you've made.'

'I promise I will!' She couldn't wait to get out there and discover as many Pokémon as she could.

'Here, May!' Brendan noticed her excitement and begin digging around in his bag, returning with a set of Poké Balls. 'You wanna catch the Pokémon you meet too right?'

May nodded.

'Have some Poké Balls on me!' He handed them to her and she put them in her bag.

'Thanks, Brendan! Though I'm not really sure how to catch Pokémon.' she had watched others from afar as a child, but never understood how they did it. She had expected Brendan to laugh at her, but instead he took her aside and explained the basics to her.

'And don't forget! If you catch a Pokémon in the wild and battle together with it for a while, it will grow stronger for you! I'm going to get ready to head out from Littleroot soon myself. Hopefully we will bump into each other often and test out our skills with another battle.'

'I'll just kick your butt again!' May teased.

'Nope, I'm never gonna let that happen again, I'm going to make sure my Pokémon get stronger.'

They threw banter at each other for a few more minutes later until May decided it was time to get home. She was planning on getting up early and heading out to start catching the different types of Pokémon she had encountered so far.

The next morning, May quickly are her breakfast and rushed out of the house an onto route 101. Crawling around in the long grass, she was waiting for one of the few wild Pokémon in the area to jump out. But this time her intentions was to catch it, not defeat it.

She didn't have to wait long, the first Pokémon she encountered was the red bug, which her new Pokédex identified as a Wurmple.

Following Brendan's instructions, May first decided to weaken the Pokémon. Her Torchic's weakest move was scratch, but since her Pokémon was much stronger now, the move caused the Wurmple to faint after just one hit.

She attempted to weaken three other Pokémon that she had encountered with the same effect, before finally she spotted a Poochyena, its tail peeking out of the long grass. As she sent her Torchic in for a battle, she noticed that the wild Poochyena was slightly stronger than the other Pokémon she had encountered so far. It also had a special move that caused its teeth to turn icy cold, sometimes freezing its opponent as it bit.

She instructed her Torchic to use scratch. The move caused the Poochyena to wobble unsteadily on its feet, but it didn't faint, to her relief.

Pulling one of the empty Poké Balls from her bag, may launched it at the wild Pokémon. With a flash, the Poochyena was sucked into the capsule. The Ball closed and dropped to the ground, wiggling for a few moments, before finally staying shut.

May whooped, feeling victorious after catching her first Pokémon on her own. She picked up the Poké Ball containing her new Poochyena and clipped it to her belt. She then made her way to the Pokémon centre in Oldale to heal the new addition to her team.

After she had caught the Poochyena, catching the other Pokémon in the area became easy, her new Pokémon's moves were weaker than her Torchic's, and was less likely to knock out its opponent. Soon she had caught a Wurmple, and a Zigzagoon from route 101, and a Wingull from route 103.

Having caught all of the Pokémon in the area, May decided it was time move on and explore route 102, which was located west from Oldale town.

She noticed that she was getting low on Poké Balls, and considered buying some at the Poké Mart, but shaking her head, she quickly dismissed the idea. She wasn't too keen on bumping into the guy from yesterday, especially since she had run out on him.

That left her no choice. Looking at her AreaNav, May noted that Petalburg City was just beyond route 102. She could visit her dad for the first time since moving to Hoenn, and pick up some Poké Balls at the Mart while she was there.

Upon her first visit to route 102, May noted that it was different from the routes she had explored so far. It was clearly a hotspot for young rookie trainers, and a few of them challenged her to battle as she tried to pass. Luckily for her, they were as inexperienced as she was, and their Pokémon were newly caught, and weak. She quickly defeated them, and they handed her small amounts of prize money.

Encountering a few new Pokémon on her way, May finally reached the end of route 102 by late afternoon. Up ahead she could see the buildings of Petalburg City.

Before she could take a step forwards towards Petalburg, she heard the sound of her name being called.

'Hey! May! Wait up!' May turned to find Brendan racing towards her.

'Hey, Brendan!'

'How's it going?' He asked, slowing to a stop in front of her. He looked down at her belt which hung her new Pokémon in their Poké Balls. 'Hey! Looks like you managed to catch some new Pokémon! Well done, May! You learn fast.'

'Yeah, I think I've got the hang of it now, it's easy once you've done it a few times.' She beamed, pleased with herself. 'I'm almost out of Poké Balls now though, I'm off to Petalburg Poké Mart to buy some more with my battle winnings.

'You do know you could have bought them back at Oldale Poké Mart, right?' Brendan asked, confused.

'Uh…' May stammered, she didn't want to tell him the real reason she was avoiding Oldale Poké Mart. He would never let her live it down! Instead she thought of an excuse. 'I just figured I'd wait until I get to Petalburg. I wanted to visit my dad anyway.'

'Oh, yeah! Your dad is Norman, the Gym Leader in this city, right. I'm thinking maybe I should challenge him once I train up my Pokémon a bit more.'

May encouraged him, glad that she had managed to change the subject.

'Whoa! Check 'em out, May!' Brendan suddenly exclaimed. Pointing towards a group of colourful, flying bug Pokémon. They were graceful, and fluttered merrily in the late afternoon breeze. May looked back at Brendan, who was gazing at the Pokémon with a face of pure awe. She couldn't hold back her laughter, and Brendan looked at her in surprise.

'What's so funny?'

'Nothing' she replied, wiping back tears of laughter. 'I just didn't expect you to be so mesmerised by them'

'It's like...I don't know... Seeing them like that makes me feel kinda...warm. You know?'

'Aw! You're just a softie hiding under that beanie hat of yours, aren't you Brendan?'

'Wha...! No I'm not! What are you talking about? I'm rugged and manly, and don't you forget it!'

'Right, of course!' May said, a new round of laughter bubbling inside of her. Brendan's cheeks had turned slightly pink with a faint blush, and he still looked flustered from her teasing.'

'Anyway, I guess I'll be off then. See you later, May!' Brendan waved back at her, finally recovering from his embarrassment as he headed for Petalburg City.

May chuckled to herself as she watched him leave. It was nice to have a true friend to laugh and tease with. It was something she never had before.

She turned back to watch the pretty Pokémon, who were still flying in a group around the trees surrounding her. She brought out her Pokédex to identify them. They were called Beautifly, it was a fitting name, they were pretty.

May stayed and watched the Beautifly until they flew out of sight, before she turned and continued walking towards Petalburg City. Excited to see her dad again.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 4 – Catching Ralts_

May crossed the border from route 102, and found herself stepping onto the dirt path that ran through Petalburg City. Pausing, her eyes gazed over the buildings.

This was the first city she had been to in the Hoenn region, and though it looked much bigger than both Littleroot and Oldale, it was still small and sparse compared to Olivine.

Although her hometown was limited in what it had to offer in terms of industry, the large harbour and the view of the endless expanding ocean made it seem much bigger. She missed her home.

May shook off the thoughts of her hometown and concentrated on her surroundings. To her right was the Poké Mart, and ahead of her the Pokémon Centre. Then, next to a glistening pond, she noticed the bright yellow building that she identified as the Gym.

She couldn't wait to see her dad, but before she met up with him, she went to the Pokémon Centre to heal up her party. She didn't want her dad to think that she wasn't taking care of her Pokémon.

As soon as her Pokémon were fully healed, May left the centre. As she stepped outside she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her. A voice that she missed very much. Her dad.

'Not bad… It was a good battle. Come back and challenge me again sometime. I'll be looking forward to seeing you and your Pokémon when you're a bit stronger.'

'Thanks, Mister!'

May headed towards the Gym as a young trainer walked away from it, looking slightly deflated. She didn't pay much attention to the trainer however, as standing in the entrance to the Gym was her dad. She picked up her pace.

'Dad!' She called out to him as she sprinted the short distance.

'Hm?' He looked genuinely stunned to see her there. 'Well if it isn't May! So you've finished moving in?'

'Yeah, we finished moving everything in a few days ago.' She started to feel as deflated as the youngster who just got beat. Her dad had never been one to show his affections, and she knew that as a gym leader he had to look tough at all times. But was it too much to ask for a welcoming hug? Especially since he hadn't seen her in over a month. And she was sure he would have contacted her mom by now.

Hug or no hug, she was still happy to see him, and couldn't wait to tell him about her new Pokémon.

'I see…' Her dad continued.'Well… I guess we shouldn't stand around out here talking, it's getting dark out. Do you want to come in for a bit? We can talk in the Gym. I'll even make your favourite tea.'

'Thanks, Dad. I'd like that.'

May followed her dad, as he led her into the Gym and through a series of doors. A few gym trainers were loitering about, and gave her strange looks as she passed. Ignoring them, her eyes stayed focuses on her dads back.

Finally they reached the back room. It was spacious and bright, with a wide latticed window that showed the darkening sky and the trees behind the Gym. The room was decorated in a traditional style, and the floor had been polished to a gleam so that she could see her reflection whilst walking across it.

Her dad pulled across some cushions for them to sit on, then walked to the corner of the room where a tea set sat on a simple wooden table. Whilst he busied himself with the tea, May settled down on one of the soft cushions, relieved to be resting her tired feet.

Since starting her journey she had been running around from dawn to dusk, and it was starting to take a toll on her body. She felt dispirited thinking about the long walk back to Littleroot that she would be taking tonight.

Once the teas were brewed, her dad brought over two steaming cups. He handed one to her and kneeled down on his cushion, setting his cup down on the floor next to him. May took a sip of her tea. It was strong with a hint of sitrus berry, just how she liked it.

'You know, I sure was surprised that you managed to get here by yourself' Norman began.

'I wasn't by myself' May replied 'Professor Birch has given me my first Pokémon, and I've caught a few more myself since then. I'm starting my journey as a trainer.' She continued to tell him about how she helped Professor Birch and got her first Pokémon, and her Pokédex as a reward.

'Ah… I see.' May waited for her father to continue, trying to gage his reaction to see if he shared the same doubts and concerns as her mother. 'You're making a good start on your dream! Then I guess you're going to become a trainer like me, May?'

'Yes, it's all I've ever wanted to do. To become a great trainer and explore the world.'

'Now that's something to look forward to!' He said with a smile on his face.

'You don't mind?' She asked. 'Mom told me the reason why you both held me back from becoming a trainer. I thought you hated the idea as much as she did.'

'I never hated the idea of you becoming a trainer. You're mother and I were just worried about you. But I know now that you're a sensible young lady, and I know you will make the right decision whatever the situation. You're ready to set out on your own adventures.'

'Thanks, Dad!' She almost teared up at his words, and resisted the urge to hug him. He was never particularly affectionate, but his words of support meant the world to her. Knowing that he had her back gave her the courage to keep going. It also eased up on some of the guilt she had been feeling since leaving her mom to start her training.

'I saw the potential in you when you were very young, and wanted nothing more than to see you set out and become the best. I knew that you'd probably even surpass me some day.'

Her heart swelled from the praise, 'I don't know about that, dad. I've just barely been scraping by as a trainer so far. I'm really not that good.'

He frowned at her lack of confidence, 'Nonsense! Look at how well your Pokémon are doing. Even after only a few days of being a trainer, and you did it without any help.'

'Actually I did have a bit of help.' May confessed, 'I learnt how to battle on my own, but Brendan gave me advice on how to catch Pokémon, and how to train them to make them stronger.'

'Hm… you and Professor Birch's boy seem to have gotten close, should I be worried?' Her dad had a mock concerned frown on his face.

She once again felt the blood rush to her cheeks in embarrassment, 'No, Dad! It's nothing like that! Brendan's just a friend. He's been helping me become a trainer, that's all!'

Her father couldn't keep a straight face for much longer, and began booming in laughter, 'Okay, okay! I'm only teasing you. Brendan is a good kid, I wouldn't be worried about him anyway. I'm glad you've made a friend here.'

They talked for a while longer, as her dad told her about his new job as a Gym Leader. She listened intently, hoping to pick up some tips that she might need later in her adventure.

Before long, they noticed that the sky outside had turned a deep black, and moonlight seeped through the windows and reflected on the polished floors.

Her father looked at his wristwatch, 'It's too late for you to travel back to Littleroot now, why don't you spend the night here?'

'Are you sure that would be okay?' She asked.

'It will be fine! There's a spare room that you can sleep in tonight. I'll send a Pokémon with a message to your mother, letting her know that you're safe and staying here.'

She nodded in relief, 'Thanks for letting me stay!'

'Don't mention it, Kiddo!' He said, patting her head as he stood. 'I'll make you some more tea then show you to the spare room'.

The next morning, May awoke feeling refreshed. But, as she stretched, she noticed how sore her muscles were. Her leg muscles pained from all the walking and running she was doing, and her arms ached from continuously throwing the Poké Balls. It appeared that her Pokémon weren't the only ones getting stronger.

She made her way through to the front of the Gym where her dad stood. Noticing her stiff movements, he walked to a supply cabinet and came back holding a bottle.

'Drink this, it will help with the pain in your muscles.' He instructed, handing her the bottle.

May unscrewed the cap, and observed the smoky liquid inside hesitantly. Silently counting to three, she quickly tipped her head back and downed the contents of the bottle. It took all her willpower not to spit out the liquid as a strong, bitter taste filled her mouth.

Her dad let out a chuckle as he watched her cough and splutter, 'I know it doesn't taste too great. It's a potent herbal remedy, sold specially at a shop in Lavaridge Town. Many people and Pokémon avoid it because of the bitter taste, but it can cure most ailments. You'll feel better soon.'

'I wish you'd have warned me about the taste though.' She argued back.

May had just finished discarding the empty bottle, when the door opened and boy with pale green hair scurried in. As he walked towards where she and her dad stood, she noted that he was around her age, although his pale, sickly complexion made him look younger.

He wasn't here to challenge her dad, was he? He looked far too frail to be a trainer, and she couldn't see any Poké Balls on his belt.

The boy came to a stop before them. He was fiddling with his hands in nervousness, attempting to get his words out.

'Um… E-excuse me… I… I'd like to get a Pokémon, please…' He stammered.

Recognition flared in Norman's eyes, 'Hm? Aren't you… You're Wally, right?'

'Y-yes… I'm supposed to go stay with my relatives in Verdanturf Town for a while. But I thought I might be lonely by myself, so I wanted to bring a Pokémon with me. But I've never caught a Pokémon by myself… I'm not sure if I can.'

May suddenly found herself feeling empathetic towards Wally. Shek new what it was like to be lonely, especially when moving to a new town.

'Mm-hmm. I see.' Said Norman, as he turned towards May. 'May! You heard all that, right? You go with Wally, and make sure that he safely catches a Pokémon.'

'Sure, dad.' She was happy that her dad trusted her enough as a trainer to ask her to help Wally.

Her dad turned back to Wally, 'Wally, here. I'll lend you one of my Pokémon'

Wally hesitantly took the Poké Ball that her dad offered to him, 'Oh, wow… Your Pokémon, sir?'

'Hmm… I'll give you a Poké Ball, too, so give it your best!'

Wally looked ecstatic, 'Th-thank you, Mr. Norman!' He shyly looked towards May, a blush appearing across his cheeks. 'Um… May? You will… You will come with me, right?'

She nodded, feeling the need to reassure the anxious boy. 'Sure, I'd be happy to help you catch your first Pokémon!' She said with a smile.

Waving goodbye to her dad, they left the Gym and May guided Wally towards route 102. She had battled the Pokémon there, and felt they wouldn't be too much of a challenge for Wally to catch.

She attempted to make conversation with him as they walked, and asked him about his relatives in Veranturf Town. But Wally seemed to get more nervous the closer they got to the long grass on route 102, and he just mumbled something about his sister in reply.

As they reached the tall grass he looked back at her, 'May… Pokémon hide in tall grass like this, don't they? P-please stay there to watch and see if I can catch one properly. Wh-whoa!'

Wally suddenly sprung back as a Pokémon jumped out at him. It had a white body with green hair that covered its eyes. May glanced at her Pokédex and found that it was called a Ralts.

Despite the Pokémon's bold attack, it almost looked shy as it faced Wally. In fact, now that she was seeing them together, they almost looked alike. She had a feeling that the Ralts would be a perfect first Pokémon for him..

Finally overcoming his surprise, Wally collected himself and with a determined look in his eye, he sent out the Pokémon her dad lent him. It was a Zigzagoon.

With a little guidance from her, he managed to weaken the Ralts enough to subdue it. Then, with a shaky arm, he threw the empty Poké Ball towards the Pokémon, capturing it inside. The Pokémon barely struggled inside the ball, it was almost as though it wanted to be caught.

It felt strange, her being the one to help Wally catch his Pokémon. After all, it was only the day before that she had learned to catch Pokémon, now she was acting like an old pro.

Returning her dad's Pokémon to its Poké Ball, Wally ran to pick up the Poké Ball that contained his new Ralts. He hugged it close to his body, jumping up and down in excitement. Although, after using up his energy catching the Pokémon, Wally looked even more sickly than before. He wobbled unsteadily on his feet and May rushed to him, allowing him to lean on her for support.

'I-I'm sorry.' He apologised in embarrassment, 'I was just so excited. I did it… It's my… My own Pokémon! Thanks so much, May!'

'It's no trouble, I'm glad I could help. That Ralts appears to already adore you, I think you will both be great companions!'

Wally's excitement was contagious, and May was genuinely happy for him.

'Let's head back to the Gym, I need to give Mr. Norman his Pokémon back, and thank him.'

They both walked back to the Gym feeling elated. May was amazed how much Wally had changed already since he got his Pokémon. He looked braver, like he was finally ready to take on the world. A gleam of confidence dominating his eyes. She pondered whether the changes in her were so obvious when she first got her Torchic.

Her dad greeted them just inside the Gym entrance.

'So did it go well?' He asked.

'Yes, it did! Thank you! Let me give you back your Pokémon, sir.' He handed Norman back the Poké Ball containing the Zigzagoon before turning back to May, 'And you, May… Thank you so much for coming with me. It was all thanks to you two that I was able to catch Ralts. My very own Ralts… I will always, always treasure it!'

'That's great, Wally. Ralts are strong Pokémon, with a combination of psychic and fairy type abilities. It will serve you well with proper training.'

'Yes sir, I will do my best to get as strong as I can. I must be off now, my dad is waiting for me. Thank you both again for the help!' Wally waved them a final goodbye before scurrying back out of the Gym. It dawned on May that he hadn't stammered once.

'Hmm. That boy will be worth keeping an eye on.' Her dads words pulled May from her musings. 'But for now… May! If you want to become strong as a trainer, listen to my advice.'

May nodded, giving him her full attention as he continued.

'You can't keep running back to Littleroot Town at the end of every day. You won't get very far on your journey that way, you'll only succeed in wearing yourself out…'

'B-but what about…'

'Your mother will be fine.' He said, cutting her off, 'She knows what it means to become a trainer, and she accepts it. You can't keep letting your guilt of leaving her hold you back.'

He was right. The choice was simple; either she stayed at home with her mother, or she travelled the region on her journey as a Pokémon trainer. She couldn't have both, and it was already clear that she made her decision to become a trainer. She wasn't going to turn back now.

Her father seemed to recognise that she had made up her mind to progress with her journey, and proceeded with the rest of his advice.

'First head for Rustboro City, which lies beyond this town. There you should challenge the Gym Leader, Roxanne. After her, go on to the other Pokémon Gyms and defeat their Leaders as well. Collect badges from them, understand?' She nodded. 'Of course, I'm a Gym Leader, too, I'm sure we'll battle one day. But that will only after you become stronger, May.'

She found it difficult to imagine facing her dad in battle. It was always her intention to make him proud, not to beat him.

Soon it was time for her to go. She still had to stock up on Poké Balls before heading towards Petalburg Forest, and her dad had to prepare for the challengers who were scheduled to arrive later that day.

May fought back the tears as she said goodbye to her dad, wishing that their time together wasn't always so limited.

'Good luck, Kiddo!' He said, ruffling her hair before she left the Gym.

Sighing, she wiped the remainders of tears from her eyes, and headed back in the direction of the Poké Mart.

May had just finished paying for her new stock of Poké Balls, when a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

'Hey, it's you again! It must be fate that we keep meeting like this!'

She turned, stunned, and found herself facing the Poké Mart clerk from Oldale. The same guy who she had come here to avoid. Her right hand twitched, as she used all her willpower not to face palm right there in the middle of the Mart.

'I never got chance to ask your name last time. You ran out pretty quick, I guess you were busy?'

'Uh yeah, there was somewhere I had to be.' She racked her brain, desperate to find an excuse to get away from this guy. He seemed nice and was kind of cute, but she didn't have time for any of this, especially now she was leaving. And it seemed like this guy was too pushy to take a hint.

'So, what's your name?'

'It's May.' She mumbled.

'May. That's hot! My name is Dean. I don't normally work here in Petalburg, but they were short staffed today and sent me to cover the shift. I'm glad I did now! I might never have seen you again, May!'

She cursed herself silently. If only she had bought the Poké Balls yesterday, before she went to the Gym.

'I'm sorry, it was nice seeing you again, but I really need to go.' She tried to rush through the door, but he stopped her.

'Wait! You can't go now! We've only just found each other again. A buddy of mine works in Mauville City, he said there's a pretty good food court there. Please go with me?'

'I can't, I'm sorry.' She apologised again, trying to let him down without hurting his feeling.

'But I'll pay for everything! You can order what you want, and I won't even care if you pig out. We can go now if you like?'

'No!' She practically shouted. 'I won't be staying around here, I have important errands to run all around the region. And I'm late for one now, so I really need to go!'

Most of what she said was a lie, but she had a feeling that this guy wouldn't understand the importance of traveling the region as a Pokémon trainer.

With her final words, she pushed past him and ran out of the Poké Mart. Running past the Gym, towards the path leading towards route 104. Beyond there she would reach Petalburg Woods.

As she ran, she could hear Dean shouting after her from the Mart entrance, 'remember meeeeee!'

May continued running until she reached the beach on route 104. As soon as she realised Dean wasn't following her, she came to a stop on the sand, doubling over and panting as she tried to catch her breath.

Eager to reach Petalburg Woods, she didn't spend much time on route 104, despite being thrilled at seeing the ocean again. She stayed long enough to battle a few trainers in the area, and to watch as the old man who lived in the small house by the beach, cooed over a Wingull as though it was a baby.

Winning the battle against the last trainer in the area, she made her way to the entrance of Petalburg Woods. Which from the outside, looked very dark and sinister.

As she walked under the the cover of trees, she found herself pleasantly surprised. The Woods were actually very beautiful. Sunlight streamed down in hazy beams, mottling the ground, and making the undergrowth look vibrant with different shades of greens.

The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing, and May was in no hurry to leave.

She soon found that Petalburg Woods was home to a more wide variety of different Pokémon, compared to the areas she had been to so far. She spent a while trying to catch them all.

A few trainers urged her to battle as she made her way to the north side of the woods. Most of them specialised in bug type Pokémon, and using the Taillow she had captured back on route 104, she defeated them quickly.

May followed the path around, heading towards the opening of the woods that led to the northern part of route 104.

As the path turned, she noticed a middle-aged man wandering around. She assumed he must be lost since he looked so out of place in the woods. He wore a long white lab coat, dark-rimmed glasses, and carried a clipboard in his left hand. If she had to guess she would say he looked like some sort of scientist or researcher.

As she got closer, May noticed that he was muttering to himself as he searched around.

'Hmmm… Not one to be found…'

'Excuse me? Do you need any help?' She asked.

The man spun to look at her in surprise, but his expression quickly turned to relief at her offer of help.

'Hello, have you seen any Pokémon called Shroomish around here? I really love that Pokémon.'

'I think I saw one down at the south end of the forest a while ago, but it fled before I could catch it. I'll check on my Pokédex for you.

But as she reached into her bag to take out her Pokédex, a figure dressed all in red rushed towards the researcher, blocking his path. The guy in red looked to be in his twenties, but it was hard to tell since part of his head was covered in a hood. On the front of his cropped hooded jacket was a large black 'M'.

Who did this crazy guy think he was, jumping out and scaring innocent people?

It soon became clear, however that this was no random mugging. The punk in the red hood appeared to know who the man in the lab coat was.

'I was going to ambush you, but you had to dawdle in Petalburg Woods forever, didn't you.' The guy growled, beginning to get aggressive, 'I got sick of waiting so here I am!'

He closed in on the researcher, grabbing the front of his lab coat in his fist threateningly. 'You! Devon researcher! Hand over those papers!' He demanded.

Anger burned in May's chest, she couldn't just stand back and watch this guy bully the researcher. Especially if he was after stealing important documents.

She acted without thinking, pushing herself between the hooded guy and the researcher. Knocking the guy's arm out of the way, causing him to let go of the researcher. She heard him stumble back behind her, taking a deep breath in relief and almost dropping his clipboard in the process.

'You're a Pokémon trainer, aren't you? You've got to help me, please!' He begged her in desperation.

'It's okay, just stay behind me. I'll protect you!' She reassured him.

The red clothed guy looked at her in surprise, 'Hunh? What do you think you're doing? What, you're going to protect him?'

'Yeah, and it won't be hard, my Pokémon could crush yours in seconds.' She taunted. Her objective was to sound intimidating, hoping that the guy would just give up and back off.

She wasn't convincing enough. He just laughed at her.

'No one who crosses Team Magma gets any mercy, not even a kid!'

Team Magma? She had never heard of them directly, but she had heard stories of other organisations made up of teams. They were usually led by power tripping maniacs, who had crazy ideals about taking over and changing the world.

She hoped that she wasn't up against one of those teams now, and that this guy in front of her was just delusional.

She watched as his hand reached for the only Poké Ball on his belt. She had the advantage of numbers. Providing his Pokémon wasn't exceptionally strong, she should be able to beat him.

'Prepare to battle!' He cried, swinging his arm and releasing the Pokémon with a flash.

Her heart pounded in her chest, as she braced herself for the fight to come.

 **A/N**

 **Hey guys! I hope you are all enjoying the festive holidays!**

 **I plan on uploading a new chapter to this story every Sunday. Sometimes it will be earlier, depending on how busy my week is. Also I will still be writing chapters and uploading them over Christmas (because I'm old and boring like that).**

 **I hope you enjoy the new chapter! I know that there is a lot of grammatical errors that need editing. My laptop died a while back, so everything I have written so far has been on my phone, and it's a nightmare to edit on. Hopefully I will be getting a new laptop in the new year, and then I will start amending all of the errors on the chapters I have written so far.**

 **I wish you all a merry xmas,**

 **~ Beck**


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 5 – The First Badge_

The Poké Ball that the Magma Grunt launched, bounced on the ground before springing open with a blinding light. May suddenly found herself fearing for her Pokémon. She sent out her Torchic almost simultaneously.

From the way this guy had been talking, she expected to see some colossal rare Pokémon that would wipe out her whole team in seconds. Instead, the light subsided and a young Poochyena appeared, and after letting out a few yaps, it began chasing its own tail. May's right hand twitched again, as she looked at the Pokémon in exasperation. It looked like it had hardly been trained.

She felt guilty, battling such an innocent Pokémon, but the Magma grunt didn't appear to be backing down. He commanded his Poochyena to bite her Torchic, but the Pokémon's movements were slow, and her Torchic avoided the attack easily.

After two shots of her Pokémon's ember, the Poochyena passed out and returned to its Ball.

'You're crazy strong!' The Magma Grunt said, looking dumbfounded.

May looked down at her Torchic, and thanked it for its help. It gazed up at her and ruffled its feathers triumphantly, before returning to its Poké Ball.

As her eyes glanced back up, she noticed that the Magma Grunt was still standing there. But now his surprise had given way to anger and frustration. He stepped towards her once more, his right hand clenching to form a fist.

'Grr… You've got some nerve meddling with Team Magma!' He spat.

May almost laughed. The Magma grunt's words were meant to scare her, but instead she felt relieved. When this guy first attacked the researcher and introduced himself as a member of Team Magma, she had thought she was facing a real criminal organisation. But after battling this grunt she realised he was all talk. If the other members of Team Magma were as inexperienced as this guy, then they shouldn't be taken seriously. If anything they were probably a copycat group of some other criminal team they heard about.

'Come on and battle me again!' He growled at her, reaching towards his belt once more, but came up short when he realised it was empty. 'I wish I could say that, but I'm out of Pokémon…'

Yep, she definitely didn't need to worry about this group. Even Dean from the Poké Mart was more troublesome.

The grunt made an attempt to regain his composure, 'And, hey, we of Team Magma are also after something in Rustboro. I'll let you go for today!'

 _Let me go?_ She scoffed as the grunt ran off towards the north exit of the woods.

Since the threat had disappeared, May turned back to the Devon Researcher, who straightened his glasses on his nose. He then began shuffling through the papers on his clipboard and counting the files in his satchel.

'Whew… That was awfully close!' He said, the relief evident in his voice.

'Are you okay?' She asked concerned, 'did he hurt you?'

'No, no! I'm fine. Just a little shaken. Thanks to you he didn't rob me of those important papers.'

'Did you know who he was? Or why that Team Magma would be after your papers?' Even though she felt that they were no longer a threat, she was still curious as to what their motive was.

'I have never heard of them.' He admitted, 'Though there are many people who would want to steal information from the Devon Corporation. These files contain plans based on research we have conducted in order to develop new technology. By obtaining these, other organisations could develop the technology themselves and pass it off as their own. It would be a huge blow to the company!'

That made sense. She hoped that was the case, as it was also possible they wanted the technology to aid in committing their own evil deeds.

The researcher seemed to suddenly remember something important. A look of panic crossed his face.

'Ah! Didn't that Team Magma thug say they were after something in Rustboro, too?'

Before she could respond he began to rush past her, 'Uh-oh! It's a crisis! I can't be wasting time!'

May watched as the researcher ran off in the same direction that the Team Magma guy ran off to. She considered following him to see if she could help, but quickly dismissed the idea. She was sure that the Devon Corporation would be able to handle the issue themselves. After all, she was just a rookie. She would only get in the way.

She stayed at Petalburg Woods long enough to catch a couple more Pokémon, including the Shroomish that had eluded her earlier, before she headed towards the north exit.

After the day's events, May began to feel tired and sluggish. The effects of the herbal remedy that her dad gave her was wearing off, her muscles began to burn again.

She reached the northern section of route 104, which led from Petalburg Woods to Rustboro City. Not bothering to explore, she just followed the path north, only feeling elated when the tall buildings of the city came into view.

She took a few steps on the cobblestoned ground of Rustboro City, just in time to see Brendan exiting the nearby Poké Mart.

Shouting his name, she hurried towards him. After the strange confrontation she had with the Team Magma grunt, she felt comforted at seeing a familiar face.

As she reached him, he pulled her into a friendly, welcoming hug.

'So you made it here to Rustboro, too, May.' He said, almost sounding surprised.

'Of course! What? You didn't think I'd make it this far, did you?' She announced in mock anger.

Brendan laughed, 'No, I knew you'd make it this far. I just didn't expect you to get here so quickly. You're still new at being a trainer after all.'

'I'm a fast learner.' She retorted.

'I noticed' he laughed again, 'I'll have to watch my back, you'll be speeding ahead of me soon!'

'I wouldn't go that far. Don't worry, you'll still be the top dog at Petalburg Town. I'm not after taking your title.'

'Good to know! Though I don't mind sharing my crown with you sometimes, as long as you give it back by the end of the day!' Brendan joked.

It was her turn to laugh, 'Anyone told you that you have a pretty big head?'

'Yes, my Mom actually. She makes me wear this beanie to hide it.'

She burst out in a fit of laughter at his statement, and Brendan soon joined in. It was a couple of minutes before their laughter died down, and May wiped off the tears that had rolled down her cheeks.

Brendan gazed up at the skyline, alerting her to her surroundings.

'It's a real city, huh? Nothing like Littleroot.'

She nodded, gazing up at the tall buildings, which almost appeared golden in the late afternoon sun. The vastness of this city surpassed even that of Olivine. She glanced around in awe, eager to explore and find out what Rustboro had to offer.

'Oh, did you know?' Brendan announced, 'There's a Pokémon Gym here, too. Soon as I gather a few more Pokémon I'll be trying my team against it!'

'Yeah, my dad told me to come here and challenge it. I think I'm almost ready, I just want to train up my new Pokémon a little more, and perhaps explore the city a bit first.' She told him.

But while what she said was true, she was also putting off challenging the Gym. Although she had gained enough knowledge from her dad as to what to expect when challenging a Gym, she still felt flutters of anxiety at the thought of losing the battle and leaving dejected. Her dad would be disappointed in her if she failed.

'Well, I'd better go and catch some new Pokémon if I'm going to challenge Roxanne. I'll catch you later, May!'

May said goodbye and waved as Brendan hurried off back towards route 104.

She once again took in the sights of the city around her. She wanted nothing more than to set off and explore, but she was still aching and exhausted. Instead she headed towards the Pokémon Centre where she would heal her team and sleep for the night.

May stood outside the standard yellow building that was Rustboro Pokémon Gym, attempting to build up enough courage to enter. It had been five days since she arrived in the city. She had registered to challenge Roxanne the day after, and was told the battle would take place in four days time at noon.

During those four days, she had explored every nook and cranny of the city, and had trained her Pokémon rigorously until she felt confident that it stood a chance against the Gym Leader.

Taking a deep breath, May pushed open the doors to the gym. The cheerful man who had registered her battle, stood near the entrance and greeted her with a smile. He had been helpful she was last here, teaching her what Pokémon types were particularly effective against Roxanne's Rock type.

He wished her luck, and as she was thanking him, a girl who looked to be around her age, made her way towards her. She was wearing a short, black dress which flared out at the waist, and dark pink tights. Her dark hair was styled into pigtails and decorated with a dark pink hair bow. May noted that the girl reminded her very much of a spoiled child.

The girl faced her and introduced herself, 'Hello. You must be a new challenger.'

'Yes, I'm May. She confirmed.

'I see!' Recognition flashed over the girls face. May expected her to mention that she heard about her from Norman, but instead the girl just continued on.

'I am Roxanne, the Rustboro City Pokémon Gym Leader. I became a Gym Leader so that I may apply in battle all that I've learned at Pokémon Trainers' School. If you defeat me in a Pokémon battle, I'll present you with a Gym Badge as proof of your strength as a trainer. Please take up the challenge.' May nodded. She had stayed silent during Roxanne's introduction, the Leader's lines seemed well rehearsed and she hadn't wanted to interrupt.

'Until then, farewell.' Roxanne finished, before turning and making her way towards the Gym Leader's platform.

The layout and decoration was much different than her father's traditional style. Instead, Rustboro's Gym looked more like a museum, with rare rocks and fossils scattered around in display cases

There was two trainers placed inside the Gym, aimed at testing the challenger's skill before they proceeded with the battle against the Leader. The layout of this gym, however, could have allowed her to bypass the trainers and head straight for where Roxanne stood.

May knew that this was not an option. It was another unspoken rule that her dad had taught her. Anyone who was coward enough to avoid the trainers in the Gym, didn't deserve to win a badge from the Leader.

And so, May faced each trainer straight on, both battles which she found surprisingly easy. She felt glad that she had made the effort to catch the Shroomish in Petalburg Woods, the trainer's rock Pokémon barely stood a chance against it's grass moves.

With the trainers defeated, it was now time to face Roxanne.

May climbed the stone steps that led to where Roxanne stood. As she got closer she tried to ignore the large carving of a fossilised Pokémon that covered the whole back wall where the Gym Leader stood. It fit in with the theme of the Gym, but May found it eerie, and it unnerved her.

'Just as I expected…' Roxanne said as May approached. 'I knew you and your Pokémon would be able to get this far.'

May wondered again if Roxanne's assumptions were made based on the fact that she was Norman's daughter. Being the kid of a Gym Leader came with certain expectations, and she felt even more pressure put on her to win.

Roxanne brought out her first Poké Ball. 'Now, would you kindly demonstrate how you battle with your Pokémon.'

As Roxanne sent her Geodude into battle, May released her Shroomish. Her Pokémon managed to get the first hit in, using its Giga Drain move. It would have knocked the Pokémon out with that one move, but the Geodude's sturdy ability allowed it to cling onto its consciousness.

The Geodude retaliated with a tackle, but her Shroomish took the hit, still looking strong on its feet. She instructed her Pokémon to use its Absorb. It complied, draining the last of the Geodude's health, causing it to shudder and faint.

Roxanne looked slightly irritated as she sent out her next Pokémon. It was a Nosepass.

She had never encountered this Pokémon before, and as it battled her Shroomish she found that it was much tougher than the Geodude.

Though it's hard rock seemed impenetrable, her Pokémon still had the upper hand with its grass moves. She had weakened it to the point where it was stumbling around on its feet, and her Shroomish was about to deliver the final blow when Roxanne threw the Nosepass a potion to drink.

Within seconds its wounds had healed and it looked stronger than ever. She couldn't say the same for her Shroomish though. It had done well but all of the battling had tired it out.

She instructed the Pokémon to use Giga Drain again, it had a fierce expression on its face as it began to drain the life force from the Nosepass. The move turned out to be critical, as Roxanne's Nosepass let out a cry before tumbling to the ground and disappearing back into its Poké Ball. They did it!

Her Shroomish looked relieved that the fight was over, and thanking it, she returned it to its Ball.

'So… I lost… It seems that I still have much more to learn…' Roxanne said, almost to herself. The Gym Leader had her hands on her hips, and a disgruntled expression on her face. May noted that she looked like a child who hadn't been given a new bike on their birthday.

May became unsure of what to say. She wasn't one to gloat or brag after winning a battle. If anything she felt a little embarrassed standing in front of Roxanne.

The Gym Leader gained her composure, however, and continued with the formal proceedings.

'I understand. The Pokémon League's rules state that trainers receive this if they defeat a Gym Leader.' She held out a shiny dark pink and gold badge to May, it was in the shape of a double-ended arrow. 'Please accept the official Pokémon League Stone Badge.'

'Thank you!' May said. She still hadn't come to terms with the fact that she had just won her first gym badge. It all seemed surreal.

'There's no need to thank me, you won it fair and square.' Roxanne said, smiling at may for the first time. 'And… Please take this with you, too.'

Roxanne handed her a small metallic disc that was a tinted brown colour.

'That move Rock Tomb not only inflicts damage by dropping rocks, it also lowers the target's speed. If you play the disc to your Pokémon it will learn the move.'

'Thanks Roxanne, and for allowing me to challenge you.' May said politely.

'That's what I'm here for.' She said bluntly. 'You should head to Dewford next, and challenge Brawly at the Gym there for your next badge. Be prepared though, he's a hottie!'

May resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Roxanne giggled childishly. She didn't have time to get mixed up with boys and girlish crushes. She was focuses solely on her training.

After saying goodbye to Roxanne, May made her way back across the Gym towards the exit. The registrar by the door offered his congratulations. He seemed genuinely pleased that she'd won.

Her intentions was to head back to Petalburg to tell her dad the good news, maybe even catch up to Brendan and show off her new badge. But her plans were thwarted as soon as she stepped outside.

'Out of the way! Move it!' May heard a male voice shouting from her right, where the Devon Corporation building stood. She turned just in time to see the flash of a red figure run north, past her and the gym and towards route 116.

Even though she caught only a glimpse of the figure that passed her, she recognised the red outfit as being the same as the one the Magma Grunt was wearing in Petalburg Woods. It looked like she hadn't seen the last of Team Magma after all.

Before she could react, a man in a white lab coat came running out of the Devon building. May recognised him as the same researcher she helped back in the woods.

'Wait! Pleeeaaase! Don't take those parts!' He called out in the direction that the Magma guy had run, before taking off after him.

Even though she knew it wasn't her place to get involved, May still followed the Devon Researcher. It wasn't in her nature to turn her back on someone who needed help.

She didn't have to run far, the researcher was leaning against the metal railings at the edge of the city, as it meets route 116, trying to catch his breath.

'Are you okay?' She asked as she got closer, 'Did that Team Magma guy attack you again?

He turned to her, looking relieved when he recognised who she was.

'Oh, you there! You're that fantastic trainer who helped me in Petalburg Woods! Help me! I was robbed by Team Magma!'

'It's okay, calm down! Was it the same Magma guy who tried to rob you in Petalburg Woods?'

'No, it was a different guy but he also worked for Team Magma. These people must have some agenda against the Devon Corporation. What am I going to do? I have to get those Devon Parts back! If I don't… I'm going to be in serious trouble…'

The Devon Researcher began to get hysterical again and she hurried to calm him down.

'Please, don't panic. I'll go after him and get the parts back. Which way did he go?'

'Thank you, Miss! I'll make sure you will be rewarded for your help! He went that way down route 116, but it leads to a dead end since the tunnel isn't finished.'

'Well, that's helpful' said May, 'Wait here in the city, I'll be back soon with the parts.'

Without hesitation, she set off running as fast as she could down route 116. She still hasn't healed her Shroomish from the Gym battle, hopefully if it came down to a battle, the rest of her team would deal with it effectively.

May raced past trainers and wild Pokémon as she continued running in the direction of the tunnel. Her eyes were constantly searching for any sign of a red, hooded jacket.

Slowing as she neared the mountain that housed the construction of Rusturf Tunnel, May looked around. She couldn't see the Magma Grunt, but noticed a man who looked like a tunnel worker, pacing around angrily.'

'Excuse me? Have you seen a man wearing red, run past here?' She asked as she approached him.

He made towards her, growling in frustration.

'What's going on? I was digging the tunnel without any tools when some goon ordered me out!'

'A grunt from Team Magma has stolen some parts from the Devon Corporation.' May explained, 'Are you saying he went into the tunnel?'

'Yes! And that tunnels filled with Pokémon that react badly to loud noises. They could cause an uproar. That's why we stopped using heavy equipment for tunnelling… I'm worried that the goon will do something stupid and startle the Pokémon into an uproar.'

May felt a strong burst of panic rise in her. It was one of her childhood fears, to be in a cave or tunnel and have it collapse on her. For this reason she had always avoided them.

'If the Pokémon were to start an uproar, could it cause the tunnel to collapse?' She asked tentatively.

'Without a doubt!' The man said sharply, 'And then all my hard work would have been for nothing.'

'It's okay, Sir. I'll stop him before that happens.'

Though even as she made the promise, May was terrified inside at the thought of entering the tunnel. But too many people were counting on her, she couldn't back down.

She hurried towards the mouth of the tunnel, where an elderly man stood muttering, he appeared to be deeply distressed. May felt that she recognised him from somewhere, but couldn't recall where she'd seen him.

'Ohhh, what am I to do?' He wailed.

Suddenly he noticed her, and began begging for her help, 'you have to help me, please!'

'Can you tell me what happened, sir?' She asked gently.

'We were just out for a walk, Peeko and I, when we were attacked by an odd thug… And then the scoundrel made off with my darling Peeko!'

'Is Peeko your Pokémon?' She asked confused. In his despair, the man wasn't making much sense.

The elderly man didn't respond to her, instead he turned back to the tunnel entrance and started shouting, 'where are yooouuu?! Peeeeeeko!'

'Hush, please!' She hurriedly begged him. 'If you make too much noise the Pokémon inside will cause an uproar. Then your Peeko will never be saved. Just wait here and I'll go in and get Peeko. And please don't make a sound, okay?'

The man nodded, but still looked upset. She sighed in relief.

May slowly made her way into the tunnel. With each step she took her heart must have beat at least 20 times. Every time she heard loose rock crumbling and falling, she almost jumped out of her skin.

Fortunately for her, the guy who was working on the tunnel had scattered lights around, so at least she could see where she was going.

As she was making her way through the tunnel, May caught sight of movement from the corner of her eye. There, she saw a group of Pokémon huddled in the corner looking jittery. They were round and pink, with large ears. A quick glance at her Pokédex told her that they were Whismurs, the Pokémon responsible for the uproars.

Their presence unnerved her even more, and she took extra care to not make a sound as she moved. Their current state suggested that the slightest provocation could set them off.

May reached the end of the tunnel, where impassable boulders blocked the way, and digging equipment were scattered discarded on the ground. In front of the boulders stood the Magma Grunt, feverishly searching for a way out. Behind him sat a terrified looking Wingull, which she guessed was Peeko.

The Magma Grunt looked on edge, perhaps he was scared of tunnels too. But he should of thought of that before robbing people and kidnapping their Pokémon.

Her fear suddenly made way for anger, and she moved closer to the Grunt. She had to put a stop to this! These Magma guys didn't appear to have many brain cells between them, but they sure knew how to upset people.

The Grunt heard her approach and spun round to look at her, his eyes narrowing and sweat dripping down his forehead.

'What? Are you coming? Come and get some, then!'

'I've come to take back the Devon parts you stole, and the Pokémon that you've kidnapped!' She said angrily, taking a step closer.

Despite his taunting words, the Magma Grunt instinctively took a step back, his heel catching the boulder behind him. Now that she was closer she saw that he was younger than the Grunt she had battled in Petalburg Woods, and less confident.

'Grah, keelhaul it all!' He said, sounding forlorn, 'This hostage Pokémon turned out to be worthless! And to think I made a getaway… Into this tunnel to nowhere!'

He seemed to be talking to himself, and May wondered whether he had forgotten that she was there. Was this guy unhinged?

But suddenly, his eyes snapped back to hers, 'And you! Now you're here to battle me. Really?'

Not giving her time to respond, he grabbed his only Poké Ball and slung it into battle. It was another Poochyena.

This Pokémon was a little better trained than one she battled in the woods last time. But it still didn't offer much of a challenge for her Torchic. It fainted in what seemed like seconds. Her little bird had gotten strong.

The team Magma grunt looked even more agitated after loosing and let out a whimper. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

'This is plain not right…' He complained, 'The boss told me this would be a slick-and-easy job to pull. All I had to do was steal some parts from Devon. Tech! You want 'em back that badly, then take 'em!'

He thrust a package at May, it was heavier than she expected and she had almost dropped it. The Magma Grunt took the opportunity to make his escape, and rushed past her, making back towards the exit. She felt the tension drain from her; she had the Devon Parts, and the old man's Pokémon was safe. She could finally relax.

May was just about to return her Torchic to its Poké Ball, when she noticed that it started twitching and shuddering violently. She dropped to her knees in panic, assuming that her Pokémon had taken a fatal blow without her realising it.

She reached out to touch the Pokémon, but pulled her hand back quickly as her Torchic started emitting a blinding light. The light shrouded her Pokémon, only allowing her to see a faint silhouette. She almost jumped in surprise as her Torchic began to morph, it's body expanding and stretching.

It was only then that she realised what was happening. Her Torchic was evolving. Her eyes welled up, she felt like sobbing in relief.

May watched and waited for a few moments, until the light finally subsided. Standing in the place of her Torchic stood a Combusken. It was taller, standing as high as her waist. The Torchic's small wings had given way to long arms, with three long, sharp claws on the end of each. It's legs had lengthened, with strong, well-developed thighs; and its eyes had taken on a new ferocity.

'You're beautiful!' She told the Combusken, crouching down so that their eyes were level, and petting the Pokémon on the head.

Her Combusken squawked proudly.

May had barely gotten over the awe she felt over her Pokémon evolving when she heard footsteps rushing towards her. She stood and saw it was the old man from earlier.

'Peeko! Am I glad to see you're safe!' The man bypassed May, and ran straight to the Wingull which still sat on the floor. Recognising its owner, the Pokémon let out a cry of happiness.

Hugging his Wingull close, the old man turned back to face her. It was then that she remembered where she had seen him before. He was the old man who lived in the shack by the sea on the southern side of route 104. The man that she had seen coddling his Wingull as though it was a baby. It was no wonder he was distraught when his precious Pokémon got kidnapped.

'My Peeko owes her life an' freedom to you, lass.' He said gratefully, 'They call me Mr. Briney. And you are?'

'It's nice to formally meet you Mr. Briney.' May responded, 'I'm May.'

'Ah, so it's May, is it now? Then I sincerely thank you, May!'

'It's no trouble, Mr. Briney. I'm glad that I could help.' She spoke the truth, it was obvious how much Mr. Briney and his Peeko adored each other. To separate them would be cruel.

'If there's ever a thing I can do to help you in turn, don't you hesitate to tell me. If I'm to be found, it will always be at my cottage by the sea near Petalburg Woods.' He told her sincerely, before turning his attention back to Peeko.

'Come, Peeko! High time we're under way to home!' Mr. Briney bid her goodbye and hurried back out of the tunnel, with Peeko flapping behind him.

Returning her Combusken back into its Poké Ball, May made her own way back to the entrance of the tunnel. She was eager to get out into the fresh air and warm sunlight, where she no longer felt smothered and trapped.

May slowly strolled back along route 116. She felt drained, as though she had all the energy zapped out of her. It was hardly surprising. So much had happened today and she barely had any time to come to terms with any of it. She decided that she wanted nothing more than to find somewhere to settle down for the night, snuggle up with her Pokémon, and dwell on the events of the day.

Sadly that wouldn't be possible though, as she still had to find the Devon Researcher and return the Devon Parts to him.

May made it back to the bustling streets of Rustboro, and found the Devon Researcher waiting outside the Devon Corporation building.

The building itself was impressive, made entirely out of a golden brown stone, with a skilfully carved Aerodactyl Pokémon above the revolving door.

The researcher spotted her approaching and hurried to greet her.

'Oh! How did it go? Did you get the Devon Parts?' He pestered her impatiently.

'Yes, I have them right here.' She patted her bag, happy to be able to give him good news.

He looked overjoyed.

'You did! You got them back!' He exclaimed, almost jumping up and down, 'You really are a great trainer!'

'It was nothing.' May told him, 'That Team Magma guy was trapped in the tunnel, he had no choice but to give the parts back.'

'I still need to reward you. I know! As my thanks, I'll give you a great ball!' The researcher reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a dark blue and white Poké Ball with red stripes. She had learned from Brendan that these were more successful than ordinary Poké Balls at catching Pokémon.

'Thank you, that's very kind of you.' She was just about to say her goodbye to the researcher when he stopped her.

'Oh, yes! Young lady! Please come with me!' He said, gesturing towards the Devon Corporation building.

May was about to refuse, still feeling weak and tired. But after everything it would only be polite to follow the Devon Researcher, and so she did.

May had already been inside the building's lobby when she was exploring the city, but the receptionist hadn't authorised her to go up the stairs to the other departments.

This time, as she entered the building with the researcher, they stepped aside to allow them access to the upper levels. May looked around in awe as they reached the first floor. There were different work areas, each with their own machines for experiments and research. Many other researchers wearing white lab coats rushed around, busying themselves with their own projects. Some of them nodded in greeting to the researcher beside her, as they passed, before concentrating back on their work.

They climbed another set of stairs. As they reached the top, the researcher announced that it was the top floor. But most importantly, it was where the company Presidents office was located.

He stopped her before they turned the corner that would lead to the main room.

'I can't tell you how grateful I am for what you've done for our company. Could you wait here for just a moment?'

May nodded and waited where she was. The researcher continued to turn the corner, and she heard his footsteps grow more distant as he walked across the marble floor. It was a few moments later that he returned.

'Our President would like a word with you.' He announced, 'Please come with me.'

May's heart raced. She hadn't expected to come here and meet such an important man. So far she just assumed that the researcher wanted to give her a tour of the company as a reward. She felt that it would be rude to refuse though, so she followed him anyway.

They crossed the room which held expensive, executive furniture and lavish decorations. May had never felt so out of place in her life.

The researcher led her to the end of the room where a single desk was located. Behind it sat the president of the Devon Corporation. The Devon Researcher stopped a few paces away and ushered her forward.

Coming to a halt in front of the desk, May stood awkwardly, unsure how to introduce herself. From a distance the president had appeared elderly, but now that she was in front of him, she judged him to be in his early fifties. His hair was white, and he was wearing a purple suit with a navy blue tie.

He scrutinised her appearance for a few moments. May noted that he gave off a very intimidating aura, as most people in a powerful position do. Despite this, his eyes were not unkindly as he introduced himself.

'I'm Mr. Stone, the president of the Devon Corporation. I heard just now how we have quite a bit to thank you for. So you helped out my staff not just once, but twice!' He emphasised, seemingly impressed.

'Oh, it was nothing, Sir. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.' She said modestly, trying hard not to let her voice shake with nerves.

He gave her another appraising look, 'Hm, there's a favour I'd like to ask of a reliable Trainer like you. Now I want you to know I'm a president you can trust. I'd never be so mean as to ask a favour for nothing in return. Here, give me your PokéNav Plus for a moment.'

May reached into her bag and pulled out the device, placing it in Mr. Stone's outstretched hand. She waited a few moments while he connected something to the PokéNav, then he touched the screen a few times before handing it back to her. She thanked him quietly.

'That function that I just added to your PokéNav Plus is called BuzzNav. It is an indispensable tool for any Trainer who is traveling out in the world. Use it, and you'll be able to get the latest news from around the region and from your own friends, anytime and anyplace.' Mr. Stone explained.

'Now let me get to the important issue of what it is I need you to do...' He continued on. May listened carefully.

'I want to ask you to deliver this Letter to a man named Steven. You should find him in Dewford. You'll have to cross the sea to reach Dewford, of course. I'll ask Mr. Briney, the old sailor who lives in that hut on Route 104, to help with the crossing. Go find him, and he should agree to help you.'

'Okay, so all I need to is deliver this letter?' May asked nervously.

'That's right, and make sure that Steven is the only one who receives it.' He confirmed.

'Do you know where about in Dewford I will find him?'

'I'm afraid not, Steven is a flighty fellow. I can never keep track of him.' Mr. Stone said absently.

Well that made her task much easier.

May took the letter from the president and promised him she would deliver it as quickly as possible.

'I'm counting on you, young lady!' He called after her as she turned to leave.

Outside, May leaned back against the stone wall of the building. Her mind was reeling.

After the conversation she had with Roxanne, she had intended to go to Dewford Town and challenge the Gym Leader, anyway. She just hadn't expected to have to go so soon. She wanted to at least spend some time back at Littleroot with her Mom, before crossing the sea to a new town. Also she needed to prepare her Pokémon before taking on the next Gym. Now she would be spending her time on a wild Wingull chase to find someone she'd never met.

May just hoped this Steven guy was worth it.


End file.
